Extract: Michael Carrick opens up about suffering depression following 2009 Champions League final defeat

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Date: October 09, 2018

Michael Carrick has provided a powerful account of how Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final sent him spiralling into a two-year depression.

The midfielder made a crucial mistake in the lead-up to the opening goal from Samuel Eto’o after ten minutes.

Man United had dominated up to that point but after Eto’o scored Barcelona were in control, doubling their lead in the second half and consigning Sir Alex Ferguson’s team to a painful defeat.

In an extract from his new autobiography, Carrick opened up about how he entered a state of depression for two years after that performance in Rome, noting how it still lingers in the back of his mind.

An extract from Carrick’s autobiography – talks about suffering from depression after the 2009 UCL final and how the defeat affected him so much that he wanted to leave the England squad at the 2010 World Cup. You never know what someone is going through… @carras16#mufc [Times] pic.twitter.com/dOWz1Mx0HQ

This is very powerful from Carrick. Not because of opening up about depression per se – but rather because he admits that something like losing a football game can indeed lead to a state of real depression.

Many will ignore the fact that comparatively small events can spiral into creating an internal turmoil. It doesn’t have to be a divorce or losing a family member or anything like that. A friend of mine entered a crippling depression after being involved in a minor car accident.

Recognising this notion is extremely important. Disregarding the source of your troubles, or simply trying to ignore it, will prompt a spiral like the one Carrick went through. This account will, no doubt, help others seek support and avoid suffering from the same thing.